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Books to Keep Your Pre-Teens Reading This Spring! (giveaway)

Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received these books, free of charge,from Zonderkidz publishing, for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about them

Today I have 3 new books for the pre-teen set that also all share our theme of friendship,

and they'd all make great Valentine's Day presents!

Plus a giveaway for a set of 2 of them!

Our first set of books came out yesterday!

Our first two books today are from Grammy-Nominated, Dove-Award-Winning music artist Natalie Grant's new Glimmer Girls series from Faithgirlz! This fiction mystery series is ideal for girls (and boys, too!) ages 8-12 (in fact all 3 books today fit that age range).

The series is loosely based on Natalie's life on the road with her family, and the mystery-solving characters are based on her own three daughters. Join twins Mia and Maddie, and their sidekick little sister, LuLu, as they travel the country finding adventure, mystery, and sometimes mischief along the way. Together with their famous mother, singer Gloria Glimmer, and their slightly wacky nanny Miss Twist, the sisters learn lessons about being good friends, telling the truth, and a whole lot more.

Synopsis:

In London Art Chase, the first title in the new Faithgirlz Glimmer Girls series, readers meet 10-year-old twins Mia and Maddie and their adorable little sister, LuLu. All the girls are smart, sassy, and unique in their own way, each with a special little something that adds to great family adventures.

There is pure excitement in the family as the group heads to London for the first time to watch mom, famous singer Gloria Glimmer, perform. But on a day trip to the National Gallery, Maddie witnesses what she believes to be an art theft and takes her sisters and their beloved and wacky nanny Miss Julia, on a wild and crazy adventure as they follow the supposed thief to his lair. Will the Glimmer Girls save the day? And will Maddie find what makes her shine?

***

In A Dolphin Wish a three-night stop in the city of San Diego seems like it might be just the break the girls need—lovely weather and great sights to see. That is until they hear animal handlers at “Watery World” talking about the trouble they’ve been having keeping the animals in their habitats. Mia and her sisters cannot resist a challenge and they talk Miss Twist into another visit to the educational amusement park to search for clues as to what or who is helping the animals escape.

The third book in the series,The Miracle In Music City, , will be available for pre-order in May!

Review:

This is such a FUN set of books! Miss Grace was more hooked on A Dolphin's Wish, as she can't wait to go to San Diego, and having been up close at an aquatic care center over the Summer, she had to kep yelling out similar parts to me, while she was reading! But she enjoyed the London book as well, and informed me it was now on her Travel List (as in To-Do list) as well- she definitely askeed me lots of question about London after reading it! Miss Grace got through both books pretty quickly, yelling more than once, "Can't I read one more chapter?", instead of going to bed! Any book that can make her WANT to keep reading, you know is a keeper!

Miss Grace enjoyed both books story lines, and how the tales were each unique in their own way, while letting you know all about the main characters in each, so you didn't have to read both. She likes Natalie Grant a lot, so it was interesting to try to figure out what part of the books might have been based on her real life travels with her kids.
This series is aimed more at the age 8-10 group I would say, based on the reading level. It is definitely a step up from the Rainbow Fairy books Miss Grace has been hooked on lately, as you can see. There are a few illustrations in the books, but they are pretty much just text. I like how each book incorporates how important it is to obey God and your parents! But it is a fun series, and Miss Grace can't wait for the next one!

About the Author:

Four-time Grammy nominated Natalie Grant is a top-selling Christian & Gospel artist with over 3 million in career sales. The Gospel Music Association has named her Female Vocalist of the Year 5 times and she has had multiple number 1s on the Billboard charts. Beyond music, in 2005 Natalie co-founded Hope for Justice International, an organization that identifies, rescues, and restores victims of human trafficking. Natalie resides in Nashville, TN with her husband, producer/songwriter Bernie Herms and their three children: twins Grace and Bella, and their youngest, Sadie. Check out her website for more info,

>And now our third book, from a Louisiana author!

Samantha Sanderson: Without a Trace by Robin Caroll

It releases next week

This is the 4th book in the Samantha Sanderson series, also from the Faithgirlz line of books. The Samantha Sanderson series is about an ordinary girl with extraordinary dreams. Each book touches on a crime straight from headlines, from bomb threats to bullying, while following Samantha and her friends as they navigate middle-school and questions of faith.

Synopsis:

Sam Sanderson is an independent, resourceful, high-tech cheerleader. She dreams of becoming an award-winning journalist like her mother, so she’s always looking for articles to publish in her middle-school paper (where she secretly hopes to become chief editor). With a police officer for a father, Sam is in no short supply of writing material.

Sam’s friend Tam Lee is missing. As the days pass, all clues seem to point to something sinister in Sam’s opinion. Sam must decide whether to do what everyone wants her to and let law enforcement continue to work as though Tam is a run-away. Or should Sam follow her heart and keep poking around looking for more clues?

Review:

Sam is in high school, which also means she can handle more adult subject matter, so that is why I think this book is better suited to the older range that it is aimed at. To me it read very much like a modern Christian take on the Nancy Drew series. We had not read any of the books in the series, but I will definitely be getting the rest of the books for Miss Grace, as the book is right up her alley, having taken a crime deduction class over the Summer! This is a well paced mystery, with plenty of clues for younger readers to guess at, and to look for connections. I like how it handles moments where faith is needed honestly and in a naturalistic way, so that kids can see how faith can work in their lives as well. We highly recommend this one too!

About the Author:

Born and raised in Louisiana, Robin is a southerner through and through. Her passion has always been to tell stories to entertain others. Robin's mother, bless her heart, is a genealogist who instilled in Robin the deep love of family and pride of heritage--two aspects Robin weaves into each of her 14 published novels. When she isn't writing, Robin spends time with her husband of twenty years, her three beautiful daughters and two handsome grandsons, and their character-filled pets at home--in the South, where else? She gives back to the writing community by serving as Conference Director for ACFW. Her books have finaled/placed in such contests as the Carol Award, Holt Medallion, RT Reviewer's Choice Award, Bookseller's Best, and Book of the Year.

Giveaway:

One lucky BTHM reader will get to win the set of Glimmer Girl books for a very special preteen in their life!

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About Me

Welcome to my little corner of the blog-o-sphere, and Bless Your Hearts, maybe some of ya'll will read my blog and get a good laugh or two along the way! This blog is alot like cooking- a little of this and a little of that, but it all makes the blog better than following a set recipe (niche), just like when your Mama or Grandma cooks! Just like the saying "Bless her/his heart". I've heard it all my life, from Mom and my Southern relatives (yes, there is a Yankee side, sorry Robert E. Lee), and now I've caught myself saying it. Motherhood does that to you- brings out stuff you thought you'd gotten away from. So grab a cup of coffee or tea, and sit down and hopefully, you'll stay awhile and come back for more! The WELCOME mat is out, ya'll come in!